A Child's Talent and First Performance
by CairotheWolf
Summary: This story is about Atem and Mana, and their daughter named Zoe, who is only 13 years old… Like her mother, she has a good personality, but also very shy, loves to draw, sing, and play both piano and guitar, like her father… Sadly, she never plays, or sings in front of people, but all of that is about to change when they were invited to the park for a high school reunion...


A Child's Talent and First Performance

**Hello…. This is going to be my second story, so this is also a One-Shot… This story is about Atem and Mana's daughter named Zoe, who is only 13 years old… Like her mother, she has a good personality, but also very shy, loves to draw, sing, and play both piano and guitar, like her father… Sadly, she never plays, or sings in front of people, but all of that is about to change when they were invited to the park for a high school reunion… So, Atem tells her that she should play and sing a song for them…The song is Carolina in my Mind by James Taylor…. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, or Carolina in my mind by James Taylor….**

It was a beautiful day in Domino City, and Atem, Mana, and their shy 13 year old daughter, Zoe, were on their way to a high school reunion that is taking place at a local park, because he called them and wanted to know if they could come to this special occasion, so Atem asked Mana, got a nod from her, asked his daughter if she wants to, and she said okay.

In the car, Mana was a little worried about her daughter, so she looked at her husband, and he knew that she was concerned about their child, but he knows that it is their child's first time to meet new people that they have been friends with, since high school, so not wanting to scare his daughter, he looked at the rear view mirror, saw Zoe looking out the window, smiled, and said, "Zoe, are you alright, honey?" Both Atem and Mana received a faint "yes" from their daughter, knew how she felt, and he nodded.

After they got to the park, Atem helped Zoe unload her guitar case, which contains her guitar that belonged to him, but passed it on to her, gave it to her, walked to the picnic area, and saw his friends. When they saw Atem, everyone was excited to see him and Mana. After introducing Zoe to Yugi, Joey, Tea, and everyone else, everyone was having fun at the reunion, talking and laughing, except Zoe, that is. That was when her father decided to help her get ready for the performance, so he walked over to Zoe and helped her to get her guitar out, and that was when everyone looked at Atem and his daughter.

When Zoe felt their stares on her, she got a little nervous, but she grabbed her guitar pick, tuned it, took a deep breath, began to play a song her father used to play and sing for her, closes her eyes, and then lets her voice fill the silent air around her.

_In my mind I'm gone to Carolina__  
__Can't you see the sunshine?__  
__Can't you just feel the moonshine?__  
__Ain't it just like a friend of mine__  
__To hit me from behind?__  
__Yes, I'm gone to Carolina in my mind___

_Karin, she's a silver sun__  
__You best walk her way and watch it shine__  
__And watch her watch the morning come__  
__A silver tear appearing now__  
__I'm cryin', ain't I?__  
__Gone to Carolina in my mind_

Feeling her eyes with tears that are threatening to fall, she took another deep breath to prevent herself from crying, but the tears were beginning to fall as she played, so everyone was smiling, and Mana had tears in her eyes, causing Atem to hug her from behind, his arms wrapped around her torso. Then, Zoe opened her eyes, causing more tears to fall, and looked at the ground, singing once more.

_There ain't no doubt in no ones mind__  
__That love's the finest thing around__  
__Whisper something soft and kind__  
__And hey babe, the sky's on fire__  
__I'm dying, ain't I?__  
__Gone to Carolina in my mind___

_In my mind I'm gone to Carolina__  
__Can't you see the sunshine?__  
__Can't you just feel the moonshine?__  
__And, ain't it just like a friend of mine__  
__To hit me from behind?__  
__Yes, I'm gone to Carolina in my mind_

_Dark and silent, late last night,__  
__I think I might have heard the highway call__  
__And geese in flight and dogs that bite__  
__The signs that might be omens say__  
__I'm goin', I'm goin'__  
__I'm gone to Carolina in my mind___

_With a holy host of others standin' around me__  
__Still I'm on the dark side of the moon__  
__And it seems like it goes on like this forever__  
__You must forgive me, if I'm up and gone to__  
__Carolina in my mind _

Since she was nervous, she felt her nervousness melt away, looked up at everyone, smiled at them, and then sang to them with confidence and determination, causing Atem to have tears in his eyes, and they fell from his eyes, as he watches his daughter with love in his eyes.

_In my mind I'm goin' to Carolina__  
__Can't you see the sunshine?__  
__Can't you just feel the moonshine?__  
__Ain't is just like a friend of mine__  
__To hit me from behind__  
__Yes, I'm gone to Carolina in my mind__  
__Gone to Carolina in my mind__  
__And I'm goin' to Carolina in my mind__  
__Goin' to Carolina in my mind__  
__Gone, I'm gone, I'm gone__  
__Say nice things about me 'cause I'm gone south now__  
__Got to carry on without me, I'm gone_

After singing the last part of the song, she kept playing the rest of the song until she reached the end of the song, letting the last note ring in the air. When she finished, she looked up to see everyone applauding for her, whistling and cheering. Atem and Mana walked to their daughter and hugged her in a loving embrace, which Zoe had returned to them with comfort. Atem looked at his little girl, and said to her, "I am very proud of you, sweetheart. And you have done it by yourself." Hearing her father's words, she began to cry and hugged her father, saying she thought that she would mess up, but Atem comforted her, telling her that it was wonderful, and that she did an amazing job. Then, Zoe looked at Atem's eyes, and said to him, "I love you, Daddy." When Atem heard her, he smiled at her, held her close, and said to her, "I love you too, Zoe."


End file.
